Grobler: like dad, like son

Supersport United’s Bradley Grobler helped destroy the Bucs, emulating his father Les

His father was considered one of the finest, if not the deadliest, finishers in the South African game. Bradley Grobler proved last weekend that the apple does not fall far from the tree.

In his playing days for PG Rangers and Moroka Swallows, Les Grobler displayed his creativity and versatility by excelling wherever required. Above all, he never forgot the shortest route to the goal, as he proved when Swallows hammered a starstudded Mamelodi Sundowns 5-1 in the Bob Save Super Bowl final in 1989.

Now Bradley is living up to expectations, grabbing a brace during Supersport United’s last massacre of Orlando Pirates in a 4-1 hiding in the Nedbank Cup final played at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

It takes a special kind of player to score during a major cup final and Grobler was certainly the architect of the destruction of a pitiful Orlando Pirates that offered little resistance. This has earned him this week’s Real Makoya gong.

Asked whether his dad gave him pointers heading into the cup final, Bradley said his father never put pressure on him but always offered positive advice and stressed that football is all about having fun.

“I hear he [Les] was a terrific striker,” said Bradley. “And after the Saturday game he congratulated me and, for once, informed me that he had been impressed and believed I had one of my best games he had seen me play.

“He is forever honest with me because, even if I had a poor game, he never sugar-coats it but tells me like he saw it. I was very happy about my performance and, to be honest, I truly enjoyed myself out there and had a lot of fun.

“The opening goal, which I think broke their resistance, appeared like a simple tap-in. But it takes a combination of several things — the movement and application of the right touch and technique to execute the finish and I am simply glad to be playing again after going through the nightmare of multiple injuries.”